


How to date a superhero errr heroes

by MelTheSugarBug



Category: Guardians of the Galaxy (Movies), The Avengers (Marvel Movies), The Avengers (Marvel) - All Media Types
Genre: After alot of feels, Alternate Universe - Soulmates, Bucky Barnes Feels, Bucky Barnes Remembers, Civil War fucking broke me, Domestic, Domestic Avengers, Extremis, F/M, Finally assemble again, Fix-It, Fluff, Fluff and Smut, His soulmates takes care of him, Howard Stark's A+ Parenting, Howard Stark's Bad Parenting, Hurt Tony Stark, Hydra (Marvel), Hydra deserve a punch in the balls, M/M, Multi, Not Team Cap Friendly at first, Other, Post-Captain America: Civil War (Movie), Protective OFC, Protective Peter Quill, Protective Tony Stark, Reunited and It Feels So Good, Soulmate-Identifying Timers, Steve need to get his head out of his ass, They talk things out, Tony Stark Feels, Tony Stark Needs a Hug
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2017-08-13
Updated: 2017-08-13
Packaged: 2018-07-18 19:31:09
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 4
Words: 12,884
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/7327420
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/MelTheSugarBug/pseuds/MelTheSugarBug
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Countdown soulmarks were the norms. You got them mostly at a young age,they would either be frozen at a certain amount of time or already counting down. The time represents how much time left you have before meeting your soulmate or in my case soulmates,who just ended up being superheroes. </p><p>Or how Melody and Peter Quill gives Tony the love he deserves.</p>
            </blockquote>





	1. Stop your crying, it's gonna be alright

**Author's Note:**

> As soon as i started my other soulmate story,my finger itched to pop this baby. Just recently discovered Starkquill so i switched it.   
> Gonna update Star Spangled Soulmarks as soon as i get internet which will be today so there might be an update tonight!!!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm actually gonna modified this whole story. You see I've been introduced to a little something called StarkQuill and I'm obviously in love now so Imma rewrite certain parts of this fanfic and offer new updates which I haven't done in sooooo long.

Ever since Melody was a little girl,she had 2 count downs on her right forearm . The count downs represented the time left before one met their soulmates. Two of them meant two soulmates. However only one seemed to progress while the other remained frozen. Hope grew over the years as the first one kept decreasing steadily.

She remember when she was 16, the break down she had when one of them turned red. Red meant that the soulmate was in grave danger.It stayed that way for three months. For the duration of those three months,she would sometimes wake up,feeling a strange burn my chest,forcing her awake for hours.

After three tortuous months,the countdown turned green,the soulmate was safe,this time the time being cut in half. 1 month... She was going to meet one of her soulmates in 1 month. She met him, a month later , served him coffee when he visited the coffee shop she worked at.

 

Tony Stark had been born with no soul marks at first then it appeared in the 80s while the second only appeared in the 90s but at the time ,he couldnt care less,he had been too busy partying and bedding men and women alike. He only took full conscience of that decreasing count down when he finally opened his eyes to the world,opened his eyes to all the chaos and destruction his weapons had lead to.

He could remember the day of their first meeting like it was yesterday. She had been 17 at the time, he couldn't harbor any other feelings other then friendship for her at the time. She became one of his most trustworthy friend , his rock,his confident. Granted, they didnt see each other that often,they would however video chat or he would go and visit her on a whim when he wasnt too busy. He had the chance to witness her slowly becoming a woman,a beautiful young woman.

He couldnt shake the look in her eyes when she came bursting into his lab after he almost killed himself via sending a nuclear nuke into a wormhole,in space. She had slapped him across the face as she cried her pretty eyes out and kissed him,which in her case was incredibly bold. She had never hinted that she had wanted more out of their soulbond,perhaps she thought she was too young or maybe not good enough for him. She was and so much more and he had felt like a piece of trash for making her cry like that. She then proceeded to stay glued to his side, his only company aside from Bruce. Everyone had left the tower to go to their own device,leaving only him,His sweet sweet Melody and Bruce.

After a night of romping in the sheets, he noticed, that she too had a second soul mark, the time similar to his.

He knew that he shouldnt have kept Melody with him when the Mandarin striked. He had her and Pepper,both pumped with the Extremis. He remembered how he could feel the burning in his veins, how she felt when her body tried to adapt itself. In the end,unlike Pepper, she decided to keep the Extremis. Even if he had disagreed at first, he felt more at ease since she had something to defend herself.

After the Mandarin however,even if she had the Extremis,he asked her to go to safety,not trusting himself with her life anymore. She cried,he had made her cry again. It tore his heart apart to see her like this but it was for the best.

 

There he was now,wounded, emotionally hurt by Steve's betrayal. He had known, he had fucking known that Barnes had killed his parents and didnt say a word. Tony had been pissed,raging even,he had seen red. Blows were exchanged.

He sat there,gently handling the phone Steve had left him along with his letter. His fingers itching to text him,call him, beg him to come back, to forgive him... but Tony's stupid pride got in the way.

Gentle,delicate hands came to rest on his shoulders. The familiar hands ran through his hair,manicured nails gently scraping along his scalp. He turned in surprise and was met with the beautiful sight that was his first soulmate. Her hair shorter, her face even more beautiful then it used to be. He finally felt the dam break as he folded into her,her protective arms wrapping around him instantly. He asked why she was so good to him,so patient,how she still loved him after all he did to her and to the people around him.

She didnt talk, her mere presence was enough. She wasnt always the one with words,but her actions often spoke volume of how she felt.

She kissed him softly,cupping his face,made him look into her eyes and he knew from this moment,things were gonna get better. 


	2. Let me be your hero baby

Drunk as a skunk was how Melody found Tony. He was mumbling to himself, a piece of clutched tightly in one hand and an old phone in the other. A bottle of scotch lay sideways beside his chair, completely empty. Melody frowned in sympathy as she approached. He had been doing well in his alcohol moderation but she guessed that the Civil War between his team had torn him apart in many ways. He didn’t even hear her as she approached her feet silent against the lush carpeting of his personal floor of the tower. She laced her long, delicate fingers into his hair, mindful of any injuries. She knew how he liked it when she did that, massage his scalp, especially when he got migraines. As expected, he went lax underneath her touch. She gently tilted his head back so she could meet his eyes. He opened his eyes blearily and blinked a couple times. He looked at her for a long time, as if his overactive brain tried to decipher who she was. He jerked in his seat, stumbling as he struggled to stand. She took full account of his injuries as he stood infront of her.  
“They did one hell of a number on you didn’t they” She whispered softly, feeling a deep ache in her chest. Melody knew that soulmates could feel each other’s physical pain up to a certain level but that didn’t explain why she felt like her heart had been ripped out, since that wasn’t the case with Tony. His so called friends had hurt him and ditched him afterwards. Of course she knew that it wasn’t just them that was at fault here, she wasn’t blind to Tony’s own mistakes, but still, she found it ridiculous how they let a piece of governmental paper break the friendship they had. It had been unique, she knew that much. They all fit together somehow, each their own troubled past and upbringings, but it was that single fact that brought them all together, like a big super family.

“Doddy?” He asked, his voice uncertain, using her nickname he had found for her. She’d never let anyone call her Doddy aside from him. He blinked and rubbed his eyes, as if to make sure she was there.  
“Yeah I’m here” He all but launched himself at her. She wrapped her arms tightly around him as he folded himself into her arms, his hands gripping the back of her sweater tightly. He rained whiskery kisses onto her face, making her giggle as his beard tickled her skin.

“I’m here Babe” She cooed fondly, following him as he sank to his knees. He buried his face into her lap, his grip unrelenting on her hips as his body shook. Her jeans grew steadily wetter as his body shook with heart-breaking sobs. She held back her own tears, his pain feeling like it was hers. She regretted the fact that she listened to him when he told her to leave. Maybe this wouldn’t have happened if she had been present at the time. She could only be with him now and this time even though he would tell her to leave, she won’t. She had the Extremis now, yes it had been a big risk keeping it into her body because of its instability but she learned to work with it over the 2 years since she’s had it. She didn’t have full control of it just yet but with further practice, it could work be perfectly, granted that it didn’t blow her up instead.

After his crying subsided, she took him to his, no their, room and helped him shower in the in suite bathroom. Good thing she had the Extremis since he was practically dead weight, barely stable on his own feet like a newborn colt. She cleaned him first, being mindful of his injuries. She tried to get him to respond but he kind of spaced out on her at some point but she didn’t mind, she knew how he got sometimes. Lost in that big brain of his. She’d let him work out his issues on his own and if he needed her, she would be there.

 

She then proceeded to make him slip into a pair of silk pajamas that he liked so much. He finally blinked himself back to awareness when she went to leave to get some water and painkillers. He whimpered, clutching her hand. She cooed words of reassurance, promising to be back quickly. She quietly padded into the bathroom, her feet slapping onto the marble flooring. She grabbed a bottle of Tylenol and wandered back into the bedroom. She took a bottle of water from the mini fridge in the corner and set both Tylenol and water on the nightstand. She urged him to drink some water before going to sleep. Apparently he was way more parched then she intended since she to go retrieve another water bottle. She slipped right under the covers and was instantly pulled into Tony’s embrace. The whiskery kisses started again making her smile again, doing her best to return them.

Tony finally settled in laying his head on her chest, arms wrapped tightly around her waist. She wrapped her arm around his shoulders; her nails gently trailing down his spine then back up soothingly. Her chest felt lighter, the solid weight of her soulmate on her chest helped with her anxiety. Finally, his breathing evened as he went lax against her. She pressed kiss to his forehead gently, tightening her hold on him briefly, her heart swelling in affection. Even if they both had a rocky start, with her being young and him being less tame then he was now, they learned to work with each other, to find a common ground. She had never thought that she would end up as a couple with Tony to be honest. She remembered back when she first met him, how she had developed a crush on the man,admiring his work and his good looks. Him being a sexy motherfucker didnt help her teenage hormones.

Although over time, she saw more of who Tony was aside from the billionaire,playboy,philanthropist. No, he was a deeply generous person with a big heart. He gave and gave to his teammates,upgrades, apartments,anything to make them happy. He made their happiness his priority at the cost of his own. She kept herself from shaking in anger, how they could do this to him after all her had done for them. She buried her nose into Tony's hair, inhaling his scent to keep herself calm.When she got too angry ,her skin tended to heat up and sometimes burn her clothes. She didnt need that right now. Eventually, sleep claimed her as well, all agitation and restlessness from being away from her soulmate now completely gone…


	3. The Winter Soldier's Guidebook

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Hydra are fucking assholes that needs to be punched in the balls. Kinda sad and some fluff too.

Melody woke up to FRIDAY chirping the time and the weather, much like JARVIS used to do. She opened the blinds just so, letting sunlight filter in, leaving slates of light on the wall. She nuzzled her nose into the crook of Tony's neck. She peppered kisses onto Tony's shoulder affectionately, making him mumbled drowsily, wiggling closer to her. She smiled into the silk of his pajama's. She left one last kiss to his shoulder before carefully scooting out of bed. She would let the engineer sleep, god knows he needed it, if the dark bags under his eyes were any indicator. She slipped out noiselessly, quietly closing the door behind her on her way out.

" FRIDAY, start the coffee please" She asked nicely. She had always felt the need to be polite to the AIs even though they weren't real persons.

"on it, girlfriend" came the amused voice of the female AI. A large grin broke out on Melody's face. She would so get FRIDAY to say 'that's hot' one day, Tony could count on it.

" I trained you well FRIDAY" Melody said pleased, puttering around the living room as she heard the coffee percolate in the kitchen. She picked and stacked files that had been left haphazardly on the floor. She found the old phone that Tony was holding when she arrived the night before. She also found a letter, the paper all wrinkled. She carefully smoothed it out with her hands and began to read, her eyes flying over the cursive lettering. A letter from Steve. Her eyes flew over the words. She found herself scoffing in disbelief at the letter. Did the Captain thought he would be forgiven with a shitty letter? A letter that dripped with an arrogance that almost made her rip the piece of paper to shreds.

She picked up the mess that Tony had made of the living room in his drunken stupor. She felt upset, it had been a long time since Tony had sworn off drinking, but she took a small comfort in the fact that he probably didn't drink the whole bottle, most of the content had been spilled on the carpet, staining the beige carpet to a questionable brown and reek of alcohol. She wrinkled her nose, making note to tell Friday to call the cleaner. She picked up the empty tumbler near the couch and caught a glimpse of red in the corner of her eye. She knelt down by the couch and peeked under the couch. She flattened herself onto the carpet and reached for the elusive book. She grunted, feeling the smooth cover brush against her fingertips just so, almost there. She let out a sound of triumph when she was able to grasp it between her index and middle finger. She pulled it out from underneath the couch and dusted it off, wiggling her nose, expecting it to start itching immediately. Her allergies with Extremis were kind of a come and go thing, sometimes her dust allergy hit and sometime it didn't or maybe it was just her. She didn't even know if it fixed allergies or not... The book was small, red and had a black start in the middle and seemed to be lacking a title. She hummed, carefully flipping it open, only to blink in confusion. All was written in Russian...

' The coffee is ready girlfriend' Friday chirped, getting another smile from Melody. She would speak of that book later with Tony...

 

Melody had been standing in front of the window with a hot cup of coffee in hand when Pepper came in, accompanied by Rhodey.  
" Oh thank god you're here, when Tony called last night I couldn't..." Pepper started but Melody held up a hand, stepping up to the woman to give her a hug and a kiss on the cheek. She greeted Rhodey the same way, trying to not let her gaze linger on his bionic legs. She still couldn't believe that something like this could happen to Rhodey,a stab of guilt piercing her again. Maybe if she had been there...  
" It's fine, I know you have been busy and all and really , it was my pleasure" She reassured, inviting them into the kitchen..

' where is he?' Pepper asked as she took a seat at the lunch counter, a concerned frown on her brow. Rhodey heaved himself onto a seat with a grunt and let out a relieved sigh, a fine sheen of perspiration coating the skin of his forehead.

'he's sleeping' Melody answered,reaching for coffee mugs in the cupboard. A 'I heart War Machine' mug for Rhodey and Pepper's favorite rose mug.

'good he has been on an inventing binge ever since this blew over. He only takes some time off to come and help me with my physio. He's gonna drive himself into the ground if he keeps this up' Melody felt her heart clench painfully at the notion.

'Good thing that I'm back then' She said smiling sadly,handing over both mugs,now filled to the brim with coffee. She handed over the sugar and creamer, making them slide along the counter carefully. Last time she did that, she hadn't taken into account her new found strength and both objects went sailing across the room and shattered a window.

 

' Amen to that' Rhodey said, raising his mug in a toast gesture before sipping his coffee,smiling proudly when he took note of what was written on the mug.

' you guys hungry? I made peach and cream muffiiins' She practically sang, jumping on the occasion to change the subject, since it clearly made all of them miserable. Pepper made grabby hands at the basket full of muffins, who were still warm from coming out of the oven not even 15 minutes ago. Melody handed over a muffin to the over eager CEO who all bit wolfed it down.

'maybe it's a bad thing after all, your gonna make fat and i won't fit in War Machine anymore' Rhodey complained with a wink and Melody smiled good-naturedly. Melody took a muffin for herself, carefully peeling away the wrapper before taking a bite. They made pleasant conversation ,catching up on what they had missed or more like, what Melody had missed. They were interrupted by Tony walking in the kitchen, grunting like a zombie. Melody smiled as she poured him a cup of coffee and set it onto the counter ,keeping in mind that her boyfriend didn't like to be handed things. She shielded the cup with her body when he made grabby hands at it.

'hahaha whats the payment for that' She said and Tony grumbled in confusion. Melody rolled her eyes good-naturedly and taped her cheek with the index of her free hand. Tony pressed a whiskery kiss to her cheek , an arm lazily draping itself around her waist. Rhodey could be heard making gagging noises in the back while Pepper giggled, the distinct click of a camera sounding. She relented the mug and the engineer made a happy noise and proceeded to down half of the content before refilling the mug. After two whole cups, Tony seemed brighter around the eyes, finally able to formulate proper words to greet his two best friends

. "Soooo whats up?' Totally avoiding the subject as expected. The concerned party decided to let it drop, not wanting to cause Tony more distress.

" I have the files for the negotiations and we have a meeting with the lawyers m in two hours' Pepper said professionally , reaching for her case at her feet. She took out a manila folder and slid it across the counter to Tony. Tony made a displeased hum as his face dropped. He grabbed the folder, opening it and carefully thumbed through the various documents Melody knew how much meetings were a bore for him. She leaned her head on his shoulder, trying to understand all that legal talk but she just ended up with a headache.

'Might as well get this over with' the engineer said, seeming defeated,exhausted even. There it was again, the painful pulling of her heartstrings. He was far more affected then he let on. Melody watched him get ready in silence ,his moves mechanical, his gestures lacking their usual energy. Her and Rhodey went to see them off. Tony gave her a long but delicate kiss before parting , slipping his rose tinted glasses onto his face. Normally Tony would of sent her texts and silly selfies throughout the day, as he usually did since these meetings were so boring. His lack of text showed how important this was and how invested he was in the case. So Melody kept her own end quiet not wanting to disturb him.

She took the time to unpack, her luggage not having left the spot Happy had set them in since the day before. She then went to her floor. She barely used her floor actually. She did back when they weren't together yet. When they got together, she moved most her clothes and necessities to the penthouse while the rest stayed there. She often used it when she felt like being in her own space, like Tony did with the lab. It always felt like a second home, decorated in a homey fashion with warm shades of brown and red. She actually missed her room there however, liking the lovely teal and white of her walls, with just a touch of pink. Her floor mostly consisted of housing her projects most of the time. By projects she meant like when she felt like writing, she had made herself a little nest in front of the wall-window, the astounding view of the city's skyline never failing to inspire her.

She also had a spot to make her DIY projects when she felt especially creative. She must of been deep in her writing since Friday had to call her name a few time for her to actually snap out of it. She blinked back to awareness.

'Miss Stallone' The AI called again, sounding a bit miffed.

'Yes I'm sorry Friday, what is it?' Melody asked, closing and setting her notebook aside,tucking the pen between the pages.

'Colonel Rhodes is about to undergo his physiotherapy of the day and it is mandatory for someone to assist him' Right Rhodey was too proud to let anyone help him, even if he was in a pickle. ' Sir normally attends but he told me you could go in his stead while he is gone' informed Friday.

Melody stood, stretching with a loud yawn, her back popping pleasantly.

'alright tell him ill be there in 10, I'm gonna change and gather my yoga stuff' Melody said as she sashayed her way over to her room, where her yoga apparel was stored in the bedrooms closet. She opened the door and inhaled the scent of her sea breeze potpourri that always seemed to linger in the place, fitting her beach like room decorations. Teal walls with white dresser, comforter and desk. All decorated with several starfish and seashells, which she had collected herself on a beach near the Malibu house.

She walked over to her walk in closet. She opened the door and slipped inside, flipping on the switch beside the door. The room lit up, several sparkly dresses glittering as they caught the light, making everything seem like a dream. Tony had never failed to make her feel like a princess, showering her with presents and flowers. So much that sometimes she felt bad and honestly didnt know what to do with these expensive gifts. She had been born and raised in a modest family of four.

Her, her mom, her dad and her big sister. Her parents worked hard to get where they were today, a nice house, two cars, a pool and an RV for camping. Not that Tony didn't work hard, he took his fathers company and made it do a complete 180, changing SI for the better, for a better future. Stopped weapon manufacturing and focused his attention on tech and clean energy, which she found truly marvelous and knew that the whole planet would be grateful for it eventually.

She grabbed her yoga mat and found her Adidas sport shorts and matching sport bra and draped them over her arm. She grabbed her sneakers with one hand while tucking the mat under her arm. She slipped out of the closet and left the door open since she had her hands full. She set the garments on the bed and slipped out of her pajama, which really was a pair of Tony's boxer brief-which were a bit tight- and one of his Black Sabbath band shirt. She slipped on her work out ensemble, not bothering with getting panties from the penthouse. She then sat on the bed to slip on her shoes, her feet slipping their comfy goodness. She stood and grabbed her mat, tucking it beneath her arm and went to her kitchen to get a water bottle. She took her favorite Ninja Turtle's water bottle from the cupboards and opened the faucet, touching the water, finally holding the bottle under the stream after she deemed it cool enough. She turned the faucet off, capping the water bottle and screwing the lid in place. She grabbed her Stark-phone from the counter and slipped it into her bra- what? it's not like these tight fucking shorts had pockets- and made her way to the elevator, guzzling from the childish straw that stuck out of the water bottle.

Granted, she had taken that bottle in the child section at Wal-Mart, she just couldn't help herself. She entered the elevator when the doors parted, the door closing as she leaned back against the back wall.

' Gym Floor Fry' Melody said, propping the mat upright between her feet as she let the water bottle dangle from her wrist by the small strap that was around the neck of the bottle.

'Yes Miss St-' The AI caught herself ' Yes Doddy' She corrected, sounding somehow sheepish.

Melody held onto the railing as the elevator began it's descent, inhaling sharply, never liking the sensation of her stomach dropping whenever the elevator descended.

' Gym floor' Friday announced and Melody gladly slipped out, picking up her mat from between her feet. The smell of residues sweat and rubber assaulted her nose as she stepped into the gym. She saw Rhodey supporting himself on parallel walking bar, doing careful, easy steps. She knew that he could walk on the bionic legs but she assumed that he needed practice to be able to hold himself much longer then a few minutes at a time. She remembered how exhausted and sweaty he was when he and Pepper arrived this morning. It seemed to be particularly taxing for him to stand for long.

' hey Rhodey' She greeted with a small wave, padding over to the man. Rhodey took a second to rest and let his arms support him on the beams to greet her.

 

' hey, is this a coincidence or a certain little birdy tell you i was gonna do my physiotherapy and needed assistance?- which I don't' Rhodey said firmly, a stubborn light in his eyes.

' Guilty as charged Colonel' Friday admitted, in a sorry not sorry tone. That brought a smile to Melody's face.

' Alright, I won't assist you, but I gotta keep an eye on you just in case, Tony's orders. ' Melody said, lifting her hands in surrender, the water bottle swinging back and forth with her gesture. Rhodey seemed to mull it over silently and finally nodded.

' Alright, alright, only supervising' He warned, pointing a warning finger at her and she nodded in agreement.

' Only supervising ' She promised before choosing a spot to lay down her yoga mat. She spread it out and stomped on it to make sure it laid flat, the mat having taken a bad form from being curled up for too long, the extremities having the tendencies to curl inwards. She put the water bottle beside the mat before starting her stretching exercises. They fell into an easy silence, their quiet environment only disturbed by Rhodey occasional grunts of exertion. Even thought he didn't allow her to help, she made sure he had his water bottle and towel close if he ever needed them.

' how did it happen?' ' Melody asked, as she took the position of the cobra on her yoga mat, finally gaining the courage to breach the subject. Rhodey paused and gave a small sigh, leaning his elbows on the beams to take a breather. The petite woman paused her position to hold out the water bottle helpfully. He grasped it, his leaning most of his weight onto one arm and chugged half of the bottle before handing it back. The dark skinned man wiped at his brow before speaking.

' I was about to go after the Quinjet and Tony told Vision to stop them and I got caught in the crossfire, Vision beam of energy hit the reactor of the suit...' he trailed off, letting her catch on onto the rest of the story.

Melody covered her mouth with a hand in horror.  
' It was a nasty drop but at least I'm alive' He smiled bitter sweetly. He was alive but he had lost the mobility of both of his legs. That was the prize to pay to remain alive. '  
Melody refrained from looking at him in pity, she knew that he didn't want her pity.

After an hour of physio, which left the man in a messy, sweaty pile, they decided to grab a bite to eat in the communal kitchen.

' How is the Extremis going?' Rhodey asked conversationally, easing himself onto a stool with a relieved sigh, cracking his back with a grunt. Melody poured him a tall glass of water and handed it to him. He downed it whole in only a few seconds, putting it back onto the counter with a relieved sigh.

' I'm still getting used to it' She admitted with a one shoulder shrug as she opened the fridge to assess what they could eat. The fridge had been stocked full so there was plenty of options. Even though it's been two years since she had the Extremis, there were still certain things she needed to get used, like her super strength. She had stopped counting how many times she broke stuff because she grasped it too hard. She also had stuff she had to watch out for, like her getting too angry, which often resulted in her body raising in temperature and effectively burning her clothes or burning whatever she had in her hands at the moment. Although keeping it under control was relatively easy, she meditated to keep her calm, she exercised to keep her body fit, the Extremis acting as a booster and allowed to gain muscle mass quite easily if she got her mind to it.

' That's good to hear' Rhodey said smiling, looking somehow relieved. He was probably afraid that we would blow us on them. She was scared too but she tried to think about it as less as possible. She knew Tony would be working on the stabilizing agent soon or complete it if he already started the process of actually making the stabilizing agent.

'how about some chicken sandwich with a nice fruit salad?' Melody asked, finally making up her mind, pulling the Tupperware full of leftover chicken out of the fridge along with mayo, grapes, some pineapple,apples and peaches. She would keep the strawberries out of it if Pepper wanted some later.

' You just said the magic words' Rhodey gave an easy grin, rubbing his hands together in anticipation. She pulled out a cutting board from one of the cabinets and a sharp knife and gave them to Rhodey along with the fruits. She actually climbed onto the counter to reach the large glass bowl that someone had inconveniently place on the top shelf.

' I know why Tony freaks out every time you climb stuff, that just damn dangerous what your doing right there' Rhodey said in a fatherly tone, pointing to her standing on the counter like a goat with his knife, pausing in his peeling of the apples.

' I didn't believe him when he said you climbed all over stuff but now i do'

' Joys of being tiny' offered Melody with a sarcastic smile. Yes joys. Their sandwiches were wolfed down and washed down with some soda, Coke for her and Root Beer for Rhodey. Rhodey had moved to the couch, resting his tired old bones as he said, still cradling his can of root beer. She was in the process of bringing the dishes to the sink when someone phased through the wall of the kitchen and came to stand next to her. She jumped in fright, one of the dishes crashing loudly against the wall and the other... embedded itself the ceiling.

Rhodey immediately jumped awake, holding out his root beer as he would a gun defensively, the soldier in him rearing it's head at any sight of danger. He felt his muscles relax when he saw that it only Vision, who was standing in from of a particularly ruffled Doddy. The seemingly ethereal being's eyes widened a fraction.

'oh dear... my apologies, I believe I should've of used the door...' The red skinned man observed, frowning at the plate that was made a clean cut into the drywall of the ceiling. Melody looked at both smashed plates with a wince then looked at the man.

' I apologize for frightening you Miss, I am Vision' He introduced and Melody shook his hand. Ahh yes Vision, the android that had been created into Doctor Cho's cradle and that was somehow inhabited by Jarvis. She found herself missing the AI terribly.

' I'm Melody Stallone, nice to finally meet you Vision' Melody said with a genuine smile before moving to pick up the pieces of porcelain scattered across the counter top but felt a gentle hand on her shoulder. ' please allow me, it is my fault that this incident happened, please let me make amends' The android insisted before floating up to pry the plate from the ceiling.

Vision joined them when they settled down in the communal area to watch stupid tv shows together. The android sometimes interrupting to ask questions. Melody gave him truthful answers and even taught him what a 'Bae' was.

'what a strange word' Vision had answered with a look of genuine wonderment. Melody felt like pinching his cheeks at how cute he was.  
'What happened to the word girlfriend?' Rhodey had said in disbelief, catching wind of their conversation ' I swear , you kids come up with weird words, it's like guys calling each other brah instead of bro or brother' Rhodey seemed downright outraged. Melody had bursted out laughing while Vision merely smiled in amusement.

 

It was only when Melody had settled into her and Tony's bed with her Starkpad that Tony finally came back. He came into the room, clearly dragging his feet, the sound making Melody look up from her Starkpad. He looked dead on his feet, the bags under his eyes far more prominent than they had been in the morning.

'how did it go?' She only got a sound that was a mix between a beached whale and a dying seagull as her answer. She frowned in sympathy, not affected by the sound at all. Shit, she used the pterodactyl sound on a daily basis so Tony could make all the noise he wanted.  
' sucked that much uh?' she said,smiling in compassion.

'you..have no idea' he said, taking a pause mid sentence to take off his tie, all but chucked it across the room, well he tried, the tie ended up plopping onto the ground pathetically. Tony sat on the edge of the bed to take off his shoes.  
' some righteous assholes, all of them' He grunted, propping his foot on his knee to untie his shoelaces. ' Their all siding with Ross, making the whole damn thing far more complicated then it already is' She crawled over on all fours, hearing the frustration in his tone. He plopped down onto his back on the bed with a sigh.

Melody peered down at him as she came face to face with him . She knelt near his head , her hands immediately finding his hair as he settled his weary head onto her lap.  
'I'm getting too old for this type of shit' he sighed , running his hands down his face, stretching his face in a weird grimace.

'You'll found a way to convince them I know you will' She said, trying to sound positive but it was hard. This situation was far more serious than anything.

' It's not that easy Doddy, I wish it was but it's not, it's not some boring board meeting where I fuck with the boards members for shit and giggles, no, the freedom of my friends all depend on these new accords, I can't afford to fuck anything up this time' The' if their still my friends' went unsaid, but both were thinking it.

Melody bit her lip, watching Tony as he began to undress. Would she dare to speak about the book she found or would she just put it on the back burner for now. Something told her that book was important.  
' Tony?' She called softly as Tony disappeared into the bathroom. He peeked his head back out when she called his name, offering a tired smile.  
' Yes sweetie' He said, slipping off his blouse, exposing the expense of his torso, her eyes looking briefly at the knot of scars in the middle of his chest, where the arc reactor used to be. She blinked and cleared her throat.

  
' I would like to speak to you about something' She murmured softly, playing with her fingers. Tony frowned, a look of worry fleeting over his face. He probably assumed the worse. ' The we need to talk' thing never ended well for anyone. Melody bit her lip and reached inside her nightstand, where she had stashed the book for the time being. She held it up and saw Tony's face change and twist into an ugly grimace.

  
' Where did you get that?' He asked, suddenly sounding agitated, moving in quick strides to stand beside the bed.  
' I-I found it under the couch, in the living room when I did some cleaning this morning, i tried to read it but it's all in Russian' She said uneasily, feeling like a child that had been caught doing something back. She shrinked back against the headboard, biting her lip, the book tightly clutched in her hand.

' well you shouldn't read it, it's fucking awful, give it to me' Tony asked, trusting a hand towards her, the tension in his voice clear.  
' Why? can't you tell me what's in there, you did read it or had Friday translate everything haven't you? Melody asked , growing agitated herself. His hands became fists, tension rolling off his body in waves as he ran his hands into his hair, starting to pace in front of the bed.

' I can't tell you, it's just too awful, this was actually one of the reasons why i nearly drank myself into a stupor last night, to forget how stupid I've been' Tony said, his arms waving in an agitated manner, face still pulled into a grimace. Melody frowned, looking down at the book in her lap, how come this book could've of caused such mayhem?

 

' Tony please, you can't always keep me in the dark to keep me safe, you have to tell me things, please?' Melody pleaded as Tony finally stopped pacing for a second to look at her. He bit his plush bottom lip and seemed to be mulling it over, his hands anchored on his hips. He sighed in defeat, looking at her with a tired look, making him look far older than he actually was.  
' Alright, lemme go take my shower and we'll look at it together okay?' He said weakly, reaching to undo his belt, pulling the belt out of the belt loops with a firm wank, making his way back to the bathroom.

'o-okay' She responded, nodding, frowning deeply as she watched Tony wander back into the bathroom, his shoulders lowered in defeat. In bit her lip, wondering if it was the right thing to make him tell her the content of the book. Maybe it made him upset or sad? And there she was trying to pry answer outta him like the nosy little girl she was. She must of worked herself into an anxious frenzy because she never heard Tony wander back over and touch her shoulder. She blinked up at him dazedly, leaning into the smooth touch of his palm as he cupped her cheek.

'hey babe' His voice filtered over the white noise in her ears' no need to work yourself up like that, calm down, you are perfectly right, I can't keep you in the dark all the time, it puts you in more danger then if I actually tell you whats going on' He reassured, rubbing her cheek with the pad of his calloused fingers.

She took a deep breath in and let it out in a whoosh and let herself be gathered into his arms like she was his personally teddy bear. He pulled her close, pressing her into his side, his arms around her shoulders and her head on his chest. He took her Stark-pad and rested it against his stomach.

' Friday, bring up the Winter Soldier's file' Tony said, sounding so utterly tired that it made Melody feel worse. Numerous files appeared on the interface of the Stark-pad and Tony pressed one of them, spreading out his hand so it floated above them. Friday started a long winded explanation of the Winter Soldier or James Buchanan Barnes. She saw his early days back in the 40s , a handsome, smiling gentleman, standing proudly by Steve's side. She watched in growing horror as the man became a shadow of himself, became the Winter Soldier.

Video files, documents, pictures of the soldier. Tortured, brainwashed, used like a simple puppet as Hydra held the strings. She thought that all of this was horrible but she had to swallow down the bile that clawed at her throat when Friday showed the content of the red manual. It was all in all, some type of guidebook for the Winter Soldier. A fucking _guidebook_ , as if the Winter Soldier, Bucky, was merely a machine to operate. She felt righteous anger claw at the pit of her stomach, her hand tightening their hold on Tony's free hand.

The guidebook showed how to take care of Asset , the Winter Soldier. How to punish him when he refused to comply or failed a mission. How to trigger him when they wanted his full attention for a mission. Ten words would have to be said in order to get the Soldier's full compliance. Tony stayed quiet for the entirety of the time. He finally met her eye, his eyes glassy. She didn't know how to react to this , she wanted to cry as well as she wanted to just go out and go on a Hydra rampage , to simply wipe them off the face of the earth.

' babe, babe, its hot , its _hot_ ' Tony warned, trying to pry his hand form hers as her skin heated up to a scorching level. She snapped out of her daze and immediately lowered her temperature, worriedly looking over Tony's hand to make sure she didn't burn him before kissing his fingertips in apology.

' sorry babe, I just... this is so....' She trailed off, suddenly speechless.

' Fucked up? I know, took me a lot to not just go out and fuck Hydra's shit up' Tony said, hostility weighting heavy on his tone.

' sign me the fuck up' Melody commented, leaning her head heavily onto her boyfriend's chest, feeling drained all of the sudden, like all the happiness, all of the emotions she felt, had been sucked right out of her,leaving her feeling boneless and exhausted.

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ok I've got a super dupper important question for you guys for a pairing I'm about to make in the future of this fanfic. Ok here goes
> 
> SamxRhodey or SamxScott Lang?  
> I personally ship Sam and Scott for some reason xD but i want you guys opinion :)


	4. Pull me in the backseat of your Rover

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> The light is finally at the end of the tunnel after several hardous months of negociations.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> fluff and mention of performance issues. Warning for the Oc potty mouth.

For months, they fought for the Avengers freedom. Although, they weren't just fighting for them, they fought for all enhanced individuals alike who could be threatened by the Accords. The X-men and The Fantastic 4 pitched in as well, also having been approached by the accords for their own faults.Tony wasn't please about dealing with Reed Richards though. He had mumbled something about 'not doing science right'.

Melody did as much as she could with her minimum political matters. She started a campaign on social medias called #FreeTheEnhanced , she knew it wasn't much but it was already 20 000 supporters strong and kept on growing everyday. People giving their own opinions as to why they should be free. Even going as far as making videos about it.

One night , on the verge of finallly seeing the light a the end of the tunnel of this whole shitty affair, they were visited by a friend.

Bruce Banner

_Melody took out two flutes from the overhead rack and set them onto the polished surface of the bar. Melody crouched infront of the winerack, tapping her chin with her fingers as she mulled over the choices of champagne. Even if Tony had forgone drinking a long time ago, at glass of celebratory sparkling wine once in a while wouldn't hurt would it?_

_She had donned on her favorite babydoll to cheer him up. He loved when she wore the Victoria Secret lingerie he offered her. Especially the Iron Man one. Custom made for her smaller bust size in red sheer fabric, matching panties with gold straps ,completed with gold heels. She set the bottle onto the bar between the two flutes and smiled in satisfaction._

_'Fry, when did Tony say he would be back ?'  Melody asked as she made her way back to the couch, her heels clicking along the hardwood floor. She sat down comfortably onto the plush couch and crossed her legs._

_' Approximately an hour from now Doddy' The AI answered primly and Melody pouted. She still had to wait it seems. She took her compact mirror to look at herself , wiping away the excess lipstick from the corners of her mouth with her pinkie finger._

_She put the the compact aside and grabbed her StarkPhone, deciding to kill time by looking at her social medias to see if people had added new videos , saving the new ones for her speech._

_She had made a speech in case she would to speak up to say her piece. She hoped with all her heart that she didn't but if she did, she would be prepared. The mere thought of speaking in front of a national assembly made her nervous, no, scratch that, it made her want to puke since it scared her so bad. She never had been the one to be good at oral presentation at school, always ending up shaking like a leaf and stuttered through her essay._

_She got comfortable by lying on her side on the couch, taking off her shoes for the moment._

_She must spaced out again since she jumped when the elevator door slid open._

_' Oh your finally back ba..be....' She came to a halt mid way as she took in the sight of a positively ruffled Bruce Banner. Curly hair in disarray,making the man look like a ruffled poodle,clothes slightly askew and duffle bag resting on his hip.  They both gaped at each other, their mouths flapping like a fish out of water. Bruce hastily covered his eyes to giver her modesty as a flaming blush warmed her cheeks and neck._

_' I-I'm sorry, I-I should of warned you of my presence' Bruce said hastily,turning sideways._

_'i-its ok ahh' Melody said, taking her silk robe that she had draped over the back of the couch. She slid her arms into the sleeves before shrugging it on, tying the sash with a faint 'fwip' sound._

_She smiled widely and walked over to the man , spreading her arms wide. He gave her a sheepish smile and let her hug him , giving her a one-armed hug back._

_She had been sad when Tony had announced his disappearance after the battle against Ultron. Tony had been down-hearted but hadn't questioned it however, assuming the man wanted alone time to reflect on his actions on the Wakandan soils. Tony knew his science bro quite well._

_'i missed you guys too, is Tony here? He wasn't in the lab' The good doctor asked as they pulled way from each other, the Hulk rumbling happily, the green giant had quite the soft spot for the petite female. She played ball with him and allowed him to hold kittens under her supervisions. Hulk likes little fury kittens._

_'no he's out negotiating the new Sokovia Accords, err SuperHeroes Act.' Her heart sank when Bruce fixed her with a confused look. She let out a sigh and motioned to the kitchen with a hand._

_' Let's discuss this over tea shall we, It seems like you have a lot to catch up on'_

_' I wouldn't have signed them, rather have my spinal cord extracted from my body rather the sign an Accord with that bastard' Bruce growled, his eyes taking a greenish hue making Melody gently reach her hand out and set it atop of his. The growl reverberated through his chest, the hand in hers shaking._

_' Tony wanted to do what was right...' Melody said weakly, meeting Bruce's eyes as they came back to their normal chocolate hue. He took a deep cleansing breath and took off his glasses, rubbing the bridge of his nose with his thumb and forefinger of his free hand._

_' I understand perfectly where he comes from but let me tell you....Ross is bad news' Bruce said ominously._

_They quickly changed the subject, knowing that a mere mention of the Secretary of State made The Hulk highly anxious. They were catching up as the tea was steeping when Tony came in through the elevator._

_' look at the stray I found babe, he's a bit scruffy but can we keep him?' Bruce look of outrage looked out of place on his face but that didn't make it any less hilarious. Melody couldn't help the grin that lit up her face as Tony blinked and stared at Bruce, brown eyes wide with shock. His whole face broke out in a real, joyous smile, one she hadn't seen in months._

_' C'mere Brucie Bear' Tony said, spreading his arms wide expectantly, eagerly waiting for his Science Bro to come give him a hug. Both men embraced , Tony squeezing the man particularly hard, as if to make sure he really was there._   
_Tony throughtfully chastising the man for running off. Bruce apologized profusely and explained how he finally came to term(well semi term) with the Hulk and his smashing ways. Tony confirmed that he did look scruffy, teasingly tugging at the man's loose curls._

_Melody smiled as she looked on, happy to see the twinkle in Tony's eyes came back,if just for a moment._

_' You gotta win this Tony, Ross can't get full control of the Avengers, it would be disastrous' Bruce said, tone and expression utterly serious as he sipped his tea, his hand shaking as he tried to restrain the Hulk. Even if they came to term together, that didn't mean that The Hulk couldn't convey his emotions through Bruce._

_' I wish I had realized that sooner' Tony grimaced, pulling Melody closer into his side.  This opened their eyes that maybe Ross hadn't changed over the years, eye-opening heart surgery be damned. Melody never did like the man and that was for a reason . She knew that he was a snake in the grass, hiding among the political party before striking to sink his poisonous teeth into the Avengers._

A full month went by before the actual signing of the new Accords which would happen in Wakanda, King T'Challa wishing to supervise the signing and be one of the first to sign,hoping that this time it wouldn't end in a disaster. Melody spend it watching over the two Science Bros. Melody wondered how they could pull all-nighters all the time, she was a night owl but this was just intense, she tried keeping up but she often ended up passing out onto the worn couch that was in Tony's lab, not able to last as long as the good doctor and her manic mechanic.

So she took it upon herself to make sure they ate and slept. If they failed to comply to both, she would drag their ass to bed or into the communal kitchen. Tony knew she wasn't kidding when she actually picked him up and hauled his ass to bed when he refused to comply. The good doctor followed as well, knowing that the young woman wasn't joking and she would do the same to him if need be.

 

She finally woke up one morning to receive a face full of clothe bag. She sputtered, barely catching the clothe bag. She blinked owlishly up at her offender and saw Pepper doing the same to Tony, who squawked in indignation.

' I can't believe you two aren't awake, we have a plane to catch for Wakanda in barely two hours, up' scolded Pepper, looking at the both of them with a dissaproving look, her hands planted on her hips. Melody envied how flawless the woman looked in her tailored light grey suit.

'wait what? I have to come too?' Melody asked muzzily, rubbing at her eyes,wiping away the eye crust that had gathered overnight.

' Yes sweetie, your part of this too' A fond look appeared on the female CEO's face, her tone going from scolding to soft' I dont know if you noticed but I keep getting calls from people who wants to help and numerous companies wants to ally themselves to Stark Industry to show their support.Our business number keeps rising and the board is immensely pleased, they are obviously doubting Ross now ' The strawberry blond looked as smug as a cat that got the canary.

Melody sat there gapping. She hadn't expected for her campaign to go this far, the results were a nice surprise though. She suddenly felt very proud of herself, she had done a good thing.

Melody scurried off to the bathroom, not wanting to invoke the woman's wrath by acting lazy.

She turned on the shower , quickly taking off her pyjama,which really was a pair of panties and one of Tony's band shirt.

She tied her hair in a loose bun to keep it mostly dry and slipped, she actually almost did slip on a tenacious spot of lube that never seem to have washed out. She always forgot about it too. She grunted as her body gave a jerk and she glared at the spot. She got under the spray , making quick work to wash her face with a soft dishcloth. Arms snaked around her waist as a stubbled chin came to rest on her shoulder, it's owner grunting like an unhappy bear.

'None of that this morning! You have maximum 20 minutes to get ready' Pepper called from the bathrooms door, her tone gone back to one akin to a drill sergeant.

'I don't know what you're talking about, we're saving time by sharing here'Tony snarked, before pressing his forehead between her shoulder blades,pulling a smile from her.

Granted, due to inevitable amount of stress caused by the fight with his team, the pressure from Ross and all the procedures for the new Accords, their sex life plumeted, Tony finding himself unable to perform. He had felt deep embarrassent and shame at being unable to please his lover,which he never failed to do before. Melody took it in stride, swearing off sex until he felt better but that didn't stop him from trying. If there was anything Tony loved more then science,Melody and his team, it was sex, although coffee was a close second.

' what a mean mean woman she is' Tony mumbled drowsily agaisnt her , his beard rasping agaisnt the wet skin of her shoulder,making her shiver delightfully, goosebumps rising.

They hurried their shower and slipped out, not actually slipping this time.

When they entered the bedroom , they found that Pepper had laid out both of their respective outfits.

Melody padded over to the dresser to pick out a pair of panties and a bra. She slipped into some seamless panties, she wouldn't have to worry for the the seams of the panties showing through the dress pants. She slipped on the matching bra. She hurried into the bathroom to start up her hair straightener and sat down on the little stool infront of her vanity. She opted for simple winged eyeliner, mascara and red lipstick. She then proceeded to straighten her short,wavy hair.

She hurried back into the bedroom after turning off the hair straightener. She shook her head as she took sight of Tony lying face first into the covers, only boxer briefs covering his ass. She poked his ass with her foot,earning a grunt

'come on babe, you don't want Pepper to come back in here do you?' She said as she slipped into the black dress pants, hopping to as she slid then up her legs. Did her thighs and ass get bigger? He sighed noisily as he lifted his head from the covers. He then lifted himself up with his arms and turned to sit, reaching for his pants. He only stood to pull them on properly.

When Tony didn't have coffee in him as soon as he woke up , he was like a zombie. He grunted alot, dragged his feet and was mostly unresponsive, unless you gave him the right stimulation, if you know what I mean.

Melody slipped into the white blouse, tucking the hem into her pants once she buttoned the first buttons before doing the rest. She grabbed the black blazer with white lapels and slipped it on, adjusting it by tugging at the lapels. She sat on the bed to slip on the pair of pointed toe,t-strap black heels. She turned to Tony to see that he was adjusting the cuffs of his sleeves, adding shiny cuff links.

She wobbled on her feet as she stood but quickly gained confidence as she reached her boyfriend, smoothing down and adjusting his tie, even though it was already perfect. She always thought that Tony was a vision in suits, as if they were made for him. They gave an elegant, laid back grace that only him could pull off. She met his eyes as he looked at her, now on the same level since she was about as tall as him with heels. They stared at each other in the floor to ceiling mirror.

 

She leaned her head agaisnt his arm lacing an arm through his , her ring glinting in the morning light that filtered through the window. The ring, the Iron Man ring he offered her on their first year anniversary. She never took it off, except on very few occasions,like when she baked or when she went swimming. Tony took a deep cleansing breath and nodded at himself in the mirror. They both heard the sound of someone clearing their throat and saw Pepper looking at them sternly, but her gaze had an affectionatrf undertone. She held out both to go cups to them.

'come on you two, it's time to go' She said looking at her watch once they relieved the cups from her hands.

' if we don't have time for breakfast,I have fruit salad in the fridge for us to take along' Melody said after taking a sip of heavenly coffee. Melody reached and grabbed her purse on a hook near the door as they stepped out of the room, heading for the kitchen with a fast, swift pace.

'Alright grab it fast, we need to go stat or we'll get caught in traffic' Pepper said gathering her her briefcase from the kitchen island. Melody clicked over to the fridge, opening the vast chromy appliance to fish out 5 (two more incase Rhodey or Happy wanted some) small tupperwares. She handed them out and kept the other 2 in her purse. She quickly grabbed spoons and shoved them in her purse as well. They could eat in the limo on the way to the airport.

' it's my plane, why would it leave without us? ' Tony commented doggedly, finally getting his tongue back once he had coffee in him.

'Tony we already went over this, it's called being ponctual, we have no room to be late on this' Pepper said in good-natured exasperation,rolling her eyes. A shadow flitted over Tony's eyes.

'Right, no fucking up this time' He said smiling bitterly, focusing his eyes on his cup as he rolled it between his hands. Pepper frowned, reaching to touch the genius shoulder but the man dodged to the side.

'Oh Tony you know I didn't mean it like that' Pepper said smally, biting her crimson lips guiltily.

'No Pep,iI understand,let's go and blow this popsicle stand' He said absently, heading toward the elevator, ringing up the hatch. Both women looked at each other, each a frown of concern on their faces. They both clicked after the genius when the elavator dinged open. They all piled inside and the doors closed behind them. Melody quickly grasped Tony's sleeve as she repressed the small whimper that tried to escape her lips when the elevator started it's descent. Tony laced his fingers with hers, giving her a reassuring smile.

' Fry can you notify Brucie Bear  and Viz that we are leaving for Wakanda and that we will be gone for three days' Tony called to the AI.

' on it boss' Fridays scottish lilt sounded through the speakers. ' Doctor Banner wishes you the best of luck on your trip. And Vision says that he'll remain on hold in case anything happens' The AI said, after presumely relying the message to the good doctor and the ethereal being.

 Happy was waiting for them with his hands behind his back when they reached the Garage level. He opened the door for them when they reached the car, nodding at them in greeting, smiling when Pepper gave him a kiss on the cheek before she ducked inside the car.

Melody smiled at the man,handing him the tupperware full of fruit salad along with the fork. He gave her a pleased smile and she ducked in after Pepper ,settling in on the expensive leather seats. Tony joined her on her side, sitting beside her with a heavy sigh and loud yawn,which he muffled in his elbow. Melody settled her purse at her feet and tucked her cup between her knees so she could rummaged through her purse for the tupperwares. 

She handed them out along with the forks and settled back in her seat with hers. Melody didn't mind the silence that followed, the only thing breaking the silence was the small steady tapping of the fork agaisnt the plastic bottom of the Tupperware and the beeping of their cellphone's keyboards. 

'Rhodey is already waiting for us at the airport' Pepper said as she stabbed a juicy grape and popped it into her mouth. Tony hummed absentmindedly, fingers quickly taping away at his phone, tupperware still half full. Melody frowned and nudged her boyfriend with her fork. 

'hey, eat, those black widow bites upgrades can wait' Melody nagged good-heartedly, gently plucking Tony's cellphone from his hands and put it into the inside pocket of her jacket. He whined like a child, making grabby hands at it until Melody gave him a pointed look and motioned to the fruit salad. He pouted, grabbing the fork and proceeded to stuff his mouth full of fruit, juice dripping down the sides of his mouth and gave her a smile that clearly said 'happy now?' . Pepper scoffed in disgust, playfully rolling her eyes as Melody laughed at Tony, who now looked like a squirrel with its cheeks full. 

 

' You're a dork' Melody giggled and kissed his cheek, careful not to leave any lip marks on his cheek from her lipsticks.

'what upgrades?'Pepper looked up at Tony ,positively appalled. Melody suddenly felt bad about outing Tony's little Avengers upgrades he's been making on the side in the last 6 months. 

'I'm not sure if you should keep making them upgrades, considering what they did to you'Pepper said with thinly veiled hostility, _viciously_ stabbing a cantaloup square and popping into her mouth. Melody gulped, having the vague impression that Pepper probably was thinking of stabbing something other then fruit...

 

 The ride wasn't too long, thanks to Happy's amazing drivers skills. They pulled up on Tony's plane turmac. They saw Rhodey standing there ,beside the plane's stairs when they stepped out of the limousine. 

'Rhodey!' Melody exclaimed happily, all but trotting over to the man to hug him. The man broke into a grin as she trotted up to him and scooped her into a bear hug. The man having mainly gained back the mobility of his legs, went back to the military but mostly did paper work, much to his displeasure. He wasn't apt to go back in action just yet, not until War Machine could somehow synchronise itself with Rhodey's bionic legs. Or maybe find a way to integrate a system similar to the bionic legs to the suit. However Tony didn't seem pleased to have his best friend go back on the field, the deep fear of losing his best friend still fresh in his mind. He felt as if he had failed his best friend by letting him fall, by not being able to make War Machine operate properly with it's owner.

'hey, quit hogging him, hes MY bff afterall' Tony said ,the pout clear even in his voice. Melody stuck out her tongue childishly as Tony strutted over to them, wiggling into their hug, wrapping his arms around them possesively. 

'I swear you two' Rhodey said fondly, shaking his head in disbelief,  'are big babies' Pepper finished for him as she walked over to them, shaking her head, trying hard not to smile. 

'awww Pep you're just jealous, come on there's plenty of room for you' Tony said, inviting her over with a wave of his hand. The dark skinned man ushured the both of them into the plane, a flight attendant smiling sunnily at them.

Rhodey sat down with a sigh on the comfortable crean leather chair ,opting for the window seat as Pepper sat on his left while Tony and Melody sat infront of them in the two other seats , Tony taking the window seat since looking outside made Melody nervous due to her fear of heights. 

 'so Rhodey, I've got those awesomes plans I've got to show for the new War Machine upgrade'Tony started, propping his phone of the table that separated them. Melody smiled drowsily as she saw Tony's eyes light up, they always did when he spoke about the upgrades he made for his friends. Melody curled up on her seat,tucking her legs close to hee , leaning her head on Tony's shoulder., Planning on catching a few additional z's before facing that big assembly,even if she wasn't tired and that the Extremis allowed her to stay awake  for quite long if she put her mind to it. She was already half asleep when she felt a gentle kiss being pressed on the crown of her head and felt gentle hands coax her into laying her head into Tony's lap before she fell asleep. 

 

She jerked awake with a snort, nearly smacking her head against the undereside of the table. She felt the familiar prickling sensation of the Extremis as her body jerked up, her brain sending warning bells throughout her whole body. She blinked blearily, her eyes coming into focus much faster then what it used to. Her hand came up to rub at her eyes but she refrained, reminding herself that she was wearing make-up.

' Are we there yet?' She questioned muzzily, her brain quickly working through the sleepy fog that clouded her mind. A warm chuckled filled her ears as a warm hand carded itself through her hair, making her lean into the touch, a deep purr rumbling from her chest.

'in fact we are, I was just about to wake you up' Tony's voice filled her ears, his hand leaving her hair, making her whine in protest. She gladly accepted the apologic kiss that was pressed to her cheek. She smiled dopily, casting her adoring gaze upon Tony, noting the worried lines on his forehead.

"come on lovebirds, it's showtime" Rhodey's tone clearly indicated his lack of enthusiam as were their sullen faces. 

Melody stood, teetering a bit, her body catching up with the fact that she was still wearing her heels. Tony stood, finally able to stand since Melody vacated her seat. They all proceeded to groom themselves to make sure they were still presentable.

Melody adjusted her suit jacket and smoothed down her pants ,glad that they didn't get wrinkles from her sleeping position. She then grabbed her Starkphone and opened the camera app to see if her make-up had smeared. She smoothed down her hair, smoothing over the small stubborn hair that decided to stick upfor some reason. They all gathered near the planes door, the flight attendant patiently waiting for her cue to open it once they finished smoothing everything over. Melody saw Tony grab a metal suitcase from one of the luggage compartments. It looked roughly like one of his earlier prototype of portable suit. 

' Alright people" Pepper began, passing from friendly to Im a deadly CEO and i wont hesitate to kick your ass' in 5 seconds flat. 'Remember to smile even though you REALLY don't want to" Melody felt like it applied more to her then anything since she had less experience in hiding her emotions then the three of them did. The flight attendant, Becky, her nametag supplied, wished them luck and opened the door for them with a sunny,practiced smile. 

Melody tried hard not to squint when the camera flashes nearly blinded her as soon as the door opened. A warm breeze washed over them as they stepped out onto the plane's stairs. The sky in Wakanda was clear and exhibed a radiant sun.

She cupped the crook of Tonys elbow when he offered his arm à la gentleman. She plastered a smile on her face as she could see again. They always made a show of being the perfect couple. Well they were in Melody's eyes but they still had to put up appearances, even if they knew that the paparazzis would invent some stupid rumor anyway.

 

Tony didn't let his nerve show as he plastered on his best media smile,exhibing a self-confidence that he didn't possess behind closed doors. He noticed that Melody had clearly practiced her media smile, the lines of her face looking less strained then they used to making her smile look more genuine. He could feel her tremble with nerves, her hand heating ever so slightly, warming his skin through his suit.

He patted her hand reassuringly as he looked up to meet her eye, his own hidden behind his glasses. He proceeded to ignore any of the questions the paps had to offer, setting his eyes on the Wakandan King that was waiting for them, flanked by menacing bodyguards, who were probably as skilled as the king himself, their lithe bodies rod straight, clad in all black, despise the pressing heat that decended relentlessly onto their head. 

 'Mr Stark, it's a pleasure to meet you again' T'challa greeted ,his accent pleasant to the ear.He stuck out his hand for him to shake. Tony shook the king's hand firmly in a show of respect. 

'The pleasure is mine King T'Challa' Tony offered a small smile. He owed the man respect for all he had done over the past few months. He played a major part in the new negotiations, using his wealth and influence in their favor.That and also the fact that he kept the Rogue Avengers under his wing ,safe and sound, until this whole thing blew over and allowed them to come out of hiding. He felt Melody stick even closer to his side. He could feel the tickling feeling of nervousness through their bond. 

'You must be Melody, I've heard many good things about you' T'challa said, catching his soulmate's attention. Melody made a surprised face and looked up at the King. 

' I-it's a pleasure to finally meet you your Majesty' Melody said bashfully, tilting her head in resting as she reached to shake the dark skinned man's hand. T'challah grasped her hand and deposited a gentle kiss on the back of her hand. Melody's cheeks flushed with a raging blush,making Tony smile in amusement. She was always nervous with good looking man. Tony turned to his soulmate when T'challa went to greet Pepper and Rhodey. He heard her take a deep cleansing breath and let it out with a whoosh, probably using her anti-anxiety technique. 

'It's gonna be fine, trust me, relax'Tony reassured, rubbing the hand that was nestled into the crook of his elbow soothingly, taking it to press a gentle kiss on the back of it. He could almost hear the gears in her head running a mile a minute, pretty much like his. The only difference being that his ran a mile a minute 24/7. 

She responded with a shaky smile, her brows creased in worry. 

' Let's go, we musn't keep the Assembly waiting' T'challa said serenely, stepping ahead and beckoning them to follow him with a wave of his hand, his lethal bodyguards closing the rank , keeping the paparazzis from following them as they made their way to the armored SUV that was waiting for them , the chauffeur holding the door open for them. They piled inside one by one , sighing in relief as they finally stepped out of the pressing heat, the cool air of the car ever so welcomed as they settled into the leather seats. T'challa who hadn't stepped into the car just yet, ducked his head to peek inside the vehicle. 

'You go ahead and head to the Assembly hall, I'll wait here for our allies to arrive, have a safe trip' At that ,the man closed the door and tapped the top of the car and it promptly drove off. Melody plastered herself to his side as soon as he sat the suitcase at his feet. There was no way he was going to venture somewhere without a suit ever again,he wouldn't be caught off guard this time. Especially when the lives of the most important persons in his life could be at stake. Rhodey had already gotten hurt once, he wouldn't be able to live with himself if one of them got hurt again. 

The silence felt stifling, everyone looking preoccupied,silently dreading the signing. Would it go well or end up in a disaster like the previous one. They would be far more cautious this time around. They would probably get shit from Ross, the man probably butthurt that they kept him from sinking his claws into a potentially new military asset. A powerful one at that.

He could see Melody chewing the inside of her bottom lip quite excessively. A bad habit that's been following her since a young age,as she told him one day when he caught her rinsing out her mouth with some salt water to clean out the blood. She didn't know why she did it but he assumed it was in moments of stress. He reached lace their fingers together, to reassure her and himself, the heat of her palm somehow soothing his nerve. She set their joined hands into her lap, her body growing more and more tense the nearer they got to the Assembly Hall.

'sweetie,  calm down,it's gonna be fine' Pepper said reassuringly, reaching over the gap in their seats to pat her hand comforting, hoping to put the young woman's mind at ease. The tickling feeling of agitation had evolved into a buzz at the back of his skull. The grip on his hand became tighter , the heat rising when they came to a stop infront of the Assembly Hall, a group of paparazzis and reporters already present. Tony held back a wince as the heat kicked it up a notch, the warmth turning to a level that it felt like a too warm coffee mug. 

'Babe ,too hot'He murmured softly to her and she immediatly turned it down, moving to take her hand from his with a pained expression. He kept his hold on her hand firmly. 

'Sorry' She mumbled in apology, giving the tiniest smile when he gave her a whiskery kiss on the cheek. 

"Alright"Pepper started,releasing a breath as she fixed her suit another time"Lets go'

 

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gonna put up the next chapter soon and some filler stories to cover the Ocs and Tony's background together.


End file.
